The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-02-10

special WspHtcu lToU haTttorui w,
lays The railroad disaster OH the Vernoat
Central road at this place, by which proba-
bly, 10 pa seugerS who were on board the
night express were killed and an equal num-
Der received more or less severe injuries, has
Inspired the people not on'y of this section
but the community at large, with a sensation
OF horror which will not lie dispelle3 for
some time to come Death came to
the unfortunate victims CT this
sad fatality In all its most
shocking forms md those who have lost rela
tives aud friends are made to feel more keen.
~ the bands OF The destroyer Of their loved
ones so cruelty ushered out Of this world, The
thought also that they were hauled to de-
struction without the slightest opportunity
TO prepare themselves Tor death is, III itself,
one Of the sad lest to many Scarcely could
one imagine more fearful or frightful
circumstances SURF ouudng the departure
of ife than those present i'll this
dreadful disast r Everything Of violent
nature is iiclu led in them 1t is possible
that some still possess d life at the time when
the ice was melted and were drowned; some
we've killed outright by being cru she'd; others
were suffocated by the smoke, others were
slowly cremated, and there We're some so
mangled that they died soon after being
rescued. No tongue can tell, no pen can re-
late, the tor,ures endured by many before
death put an end to their sufferings, Mel hAr
can ever be told the thrilln, scenes enacted
among thu burning debris of the wreck,
which was huge funeral pyre to human
sacrifice, the desperate efforts to escape, the
deels o. herosm, the last sad farewellS and
the calm designations to fate; and then, too
there is the thought that some of the inuo-
cent victims are destined to fill unknown
graves, away, from those whose remem-
brances OF love might deck The mounds
which cover them and erect some shaft
which won keep heir recoilections fresh in
tn minds Of those on earth. To sum the
important news of the accident CLEANED
to day, it may be id that five moro burned
bodies were rescued from the ruins of the
wrecked cars. and that a out as many were
identified b, frien Is.
How many were killed in this acc dent' is
the ques hon oftenest asked. 1t is impossi-
ble tO state at this time. 1t is probable that
the exact number wi never ba known, for
there is little doubt that some bodies were
entirely destroyed. Many here still believe
that the total number will reach CD, at least.
This Uelef is based upon conf seizure that
there are large number still beneath the
wreck of the third car from the +, ar. A more
con,ervatiye estimate wOull be 40 Mr..
Ernest johnson. tn. undertaken here i'll
charge Of the dead house, states that 30
bodies have been brought to that place,
counting all,
The valley is not depopulated, and yet
from the tracks on either SIDE of the bridge
can be seen nothing but desolation, the
stream covered with ice in whose embrace
the waters Of the White river are held as in
the grasp of giant, the hi S on either side
covered with snow, the trees an shrubs en-
caSed In mantle OF the same, and abovs all
the leaden sky add, o the sombreness Of the
wintry picture fitting surround 'gs for the
scene Of wreck and ruin at tho liver.
Not dwelling i'll sight save Oscar Paine's,
about 100 yards distant, within whose walls
in the short space of forty eight hours had
been carried the dead and dying, and in
whose corn barn hear by were the remains
OF several whose life had been crushed out by
the cruel heap Of those cars down, down,
down, fifty feet from the track above to the
river ue!ow.
The bridge which was deck bridge, 50
called, was all destroyed, leaving nothing
but the two abutmentS and ths thres piers
standing, the huge granite blocks composing
them bearing the marks of fire, and the sur
face, scaling off, indicating the awful heat
that prevailed around them.
The ice covering the river had not been
broken through, save in two or three places
where the crash of the heavy iron
car wheels had fractured it. At the point
where the cars struck and aftsrward burned,
the ice melted and in several places holes
had been IN lde through which the sa idy bot
tom of the river could DO seen covered by
about five feet of water.
Nothing was left of the cars but iron rolls,
brass lamps shapeless aud crushed, and
pieces of tin roofing
One of the most affecting sights of all was
that pre- ented by the body Of the little son of
s. Wescott OF Burlington. 1t lay on The
dirt-coverel floor of the dead house wrapped
about with piece Of white cloth. His head
half plaft in tua NIL ;el,
features were cut, crushed and bloody. His
small white hands were calmly clasped upon
his bosom he lay against the coffin which
contained he body Ct his father, while his
little shoes-mos5 pitiful relcs--stood on
the window sill above him. The father and
son we're journeying HON, in the Pullman,
and both were asleep. The father lovingly
holding his boy in his arms Both had
been Instantly killed in the first great crash,
and we're hurled some distance upon tho ice
safe from the flames Even in death the
father held his son. There they lay, blood
covered, and thcss first upon the scene had
to turn their heads away from this most
affecting scene. While few hesitated to pull
out the charred corpses none cared to
touch their bodies, and there they lay until
some one mustered up courage and determi-
nation enough to remove them. This Incl
dent Of the accident is more frequently
spoken of than any other.
n lOuHl, Hldn udUltu fTeu fdulEner
boarded the train at the Junction Being
acquainted with the baggage master, h,
went into the baggage car just before the
train reached the bridge. and was engaged
with others i'll listening to relation of a fun
ny story when there came pull and sud
den stop Wi ich sent all flying in a heap in
the forward end of the car. The story was
never finished, and they turned from gay 10
grave in an Instant.
The investigation by the Vermont rail
road commissioners into the cause Of the &C
cident, with the view of ascertaning where
the blame lies, if any, will be held at the
White River Junction House. Thu hearing
will probably last the whole of the week
The commissioners will take the IA lroad 5
side of the hearing first Clerk Watson of
the board insp cted the railroad t acks upon
which the Inflated train ran at the time of
the accident. Tho 18th rail from the bridge
was found to be broken up into several
pieces The seventeenth rail was
nearly broken IN the middle, while
the remaining IS rail, were more or
less damaged. 1t is st II thought that the
accident lie ,ulted from a broken rail-the
18Th one, undoubtelly-an that the last car,
the Puritan, was the first thrown from the
track and over the bridge, pulling the other
three after it. The investigation, however
will probably bring out the full facts con-
nected with the accident.
Charles II. Pieic of White River juno
ton, engineer of the wrecked train, is about
80 years old, has been in The roads employ as
engineer IA years, and is considered one of its
most faithful employees. All accounts agree
with his that, althou IN the train was an hour
late AMI had been running perhaps 30 miles
an hour, yet at the time of the accident he
had slowed up to about Is or 90 miles an
hour, as Is the usual custom in crossing long
bridges. No blame, whatever, is attached to
him, aud after the accident both he and
Fireman Thrasher OF st. Adams rendered
heroic and efficient aid IN rescuing passen-
res Pierce proceeded to st Adams with
his engine and the rest of the train after all
had been done that could be, and plenty Of
help had arrived. He is now at st. Adams
in an exhaust condition
MARINE MISHAPS.